Bernard Gieske, US

 

 

Free Verse   An Ekphrastic Poem   The Girl with the Pearl Earring (Painting by Johannes Vermeer) * (Novel by Tracy Chavalier)   She chops the cabbage, leeks, and carrots, forming circles of red, of white, and green. An exercise in colors he will notice when he comes. She cuts and files his nails hiding souvenirs of blue from his work with tiles in Delft. An exercise of love while holding her father’s hands. She drains the yellows and browns from the bed pans into the gray flowing waters of the canal. A worker shouts hello from a passing barge. An exercise of surprise that he would notice her. She boils and hangs the sheets, and napkins, and underwear billowing white in the breeze of the sunlight. An exercise of labor earning stuivers for her family. She walks the cobbled stones to the butcher’s stall in the market square. The butcher’s son quickly chances glances hearing her voice selecting fish or choice red meats, eager to fill her orders with extra smiles. An exercise or chore or maybe more She strolls with him on Sunday afternoons down the lane along the tulip fields, hand in hand, in conversations, planning, promising, sharing warm places and picnicking in the green. An exercise exploring a blooming love affair. She sits plainly seen in the sun’s morning pallette, a lemon-blue turban hugging her head a wisp of hair, just a curl, above her ear and the Pearl . An exercise posing just for him. She sits turning her head until her eyes are watching him, Johannes Vermeer exercising his artistry, secretly painting her,   View the Painting and the poem together Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) This picture is in the public domain.     An Ekphrastic Poem   Double Etheree   The Letter (painting by Jan Vermeer, c. 1663) **   There standing in morning’s motionless light, an open window messaging loving words penned afar on the wall map, shadows cushion the empty chair, her eyes settle into the presence of his loving thoughts full of tenderness and his voice swallowing her loneliness, his warming touch descending through her, mingling with her fecundity. The babe sends his message too, moves with lively kicks. She ebbs forth a sigh contentedly. Mother’s joy coming home.   View the Painting and the poem together **Woman In Blue Reading a Letter by Johannes Vermeer Scroll down to the picture.     Glowing Embers   (scene from The Time of Man by Elizabeth Madox Roberts)   ev’ry night              the chill was there                          quilting the cabin                                       the mountain’s reminder                                                    of the sun’s goodbye the day had been long              hours of sweating in the field drawn to the cabin              he welcomed the heat of                           its hearth flames                                       soothing his aching muscles quietly they talked              through the night                           she hearing his voice                                       giving her pleasure                                                  salving her body and mind while they talked              the fire faded                           into glowing embers                                        his gaze resting on her face                                                  softly exploring her way                                                                finding out where she was most pretty shadows crowded in               nudged them closer                             he placed his arm around her                                         sitting for a long while, then new logs added to the hearth                broke into fire                           the sycamore and the ash                                         blending in one flame he trailed his hand                over her warm shoulder                           and down around her breast we’ll be married                once winter has broken                           I look for spring night after frigid night                they came together                           to share the warmth                                         and rekindle the flame                                                       by the light of each night’s embers she felt his calling                 forth her beauty                           growing more full and rich  he buried his face in the                 glow of her throat                           we will be married in the spring it always ended with glowing embers                 thoughts shared and promises renewed                            hearts rekindled and burning                                          We will marry in the spring.   Year Ends Kukai